The taking pictures of 49-year-old Turkish nationwide Ertekin Özkan by the police in Mannheim, Germany, final Saturday has prompted a powerful response from the deceased’s household, who demand accountability and justice for the incident.
Ertekin Özkan’s mom, Seniye Özkan, lamented that the police deliberately shot her son. “They ignored my son’s pleas. They purposefully took the life of my son, a father of three,” she stated.
Özkan additionally revealed her try to achieve her son however was denied entry by the police. She sorrowfully acknowledged, “Had they allowed me to be with my child, I could have saved him. My child did not harm anyone.”
Accusing the police of not issuing any warnings, Özkan vowed to pursue justice relentlessly, asserting, “I will fight for my rights till the end.”
Addressing the claims of her son’s alleged drug use, Özkan refuted the allegations, affirming: “My son has been clean for two years. He was about to start a new job this year. I’ve dedicated 50 years of my life to Germany. They killed my child in broad daylight. We served Germany for years. This level of injustice and disbelief is unimaginable.”
Meral Sert, Ertekin’s sister, described her brother’s demise as an execution by the German police. Expressing disbelief, she questioned the usage of 4 bullets towards her brother, stating, “Four unnecessary bullets. Even if one shot was fired, why four? One police officer fired twice, and the rest once. There was no justification for any shooting. I perceive this as an execution. It’s akin to murder.”
Emphasizing their willpower to pursue authorized motion, Meral Sert criticized the authorities for denying her entry to her brother on the scene. Recounting the distressing sight, she stated, “I pleaded, ‘Please let me bid farewell to my brother.’ Unfortunately, they didn’t allow me. They performed CPR for about 40 minutes. It was a distressing scene. He was unclothed, and blood was everywhere. When the ambulance arrived, it stopped at the corner, and that’s when I realized we had lost my brother. The medical team informed us that he passed away from the gunshot wounds despite their efforts.”
Sema Umuç, an eyewitness to the Ertekin Özkan incident, shared her perspective: “The chaos unfolded right in front of my house. Initially, I thought it was a scuffle. Peering outside, I witnessed someone holding a knife, yelling, ‘Shoot me.’ His mother was present, pleading, ‘Ertekin, don’t do it.’ I recognized him as the older brother of my friend, Meral. As I tried reaching Meral on the phone, Ertekin advanced a few steps, and then I heard four shots. I screamed in shock. The police’s response was unprecedentedly disproportionate compared to a similar incident in Mannheim.”
The stays of Ertekin Özkan are slated for burial within the Muslim cemetery in Mannheim as soon as post-mortem procedures conclude.
German Left Party consultant Gökay Akbulut denounced the police motion, echoing statements from Ertekin Özkan’s daughter, Yasemin, on an area TV channel by way of his social media deal with, using the hashtag “police violence.”
Criticism arose on social media over the police’s use of deadly pressure, with feedback contending that officers may have incapacitated Özkan with non-lethal means as a substitute of resorting to deadly gunfire.
Two fatalities resulted from Mannheim police interventions on May 2 and 10, 2022. Subsequently, inquiries have been initiated, and trials of the concerned officers are scheduled to start subsequent month.
The “May 2 Initiative” will host an occasion right this moment within the neighborhood of the incident to denounce Özkan’s killing by the police and stage a vigil towards police violence. Additionally, a protest is scheduled in Mannheim’s metropolis heart on Dec. 30 to highlight police brutality.
Türkiye’s Karlsruhe Consul General Mahmut Niyazi Sezgin supplied condolences and warranted that they’d actively comply with up on the incident.
A joint assertion from the Mannheim Prosecutor’s Office and Police Department reported {that a} misery name reporting a criminal offense led officers to the scene, the place they encountered a knife-wielding particular person. Allegedly, the 49-year-old was wounded in a police taking pictures and succumbed to accidents on the hospital.
Per Germany’s Ministry of Internal Affairs directives, police could use firearms solely as a final resort. The discretion to make use of a firearm rests with the responding officers, guided by the precept of “proportionality.”
Source: www.dailysabah.com